UConn vs ND – Senior Day – Humble the Huskies
Former Irish QB Zach Frazer looks to lead the Huskies over the Irish this Saturday
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This Saturday, the Irish welcome the Connecticut Huskies on Senior Day. In what will be many of the Notre Dame seniors last chance at glory on the football field, I expect to see much more emotion in this game than we have seen all season. Surprisingly, I expect a lot of that emotion to come from juniors like Golden Tate and Jimmy Clausen. They will be putting the pressure on their shoulders in order to send out the seniors with a victory in their final game in Notre Dame Stadium. These past few weeks have been loaded with distractions, most notably the future of Charlie Weis as head coach of the Irish. Many of the players have tried to put this in the back of their minds, but there is no doubt that there are lingering thoughts and feelings among Irish players. The most important tactic being taught this week should be focus and discipline. Against Pitt, the Irish looked out of focus on offense and extremely undisciplined on defense. In order to beat a tough, feisty UConn team, the Irish will need to run the ball effectively on offense, while stopping the potent running game of the Huskies on defense. If the Irish defense can force Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazer to try and beat the Irish through the air, big plays await the Domers.
The Huskies Offense
Former Notre Dame QB Zach Frazer will lead the Huskies onto the field of battle this Saturday after starter Cody Endres went down with a shoulder injury. Frazer was recruited for his big arm, but has lacked consistency all year. He has thrown for 815 yards with 4 TDs and & 7 INTs on the season. Even though Frazer will be running the offense, UConn is a methodical, move the chains type of team. They will utilize the talent they have at the running back position to try and keep the ball out of Jimmy Clausen’s hands. Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon will split time at tailback and both running backs have the ability and athleticism to make defenders miss and create big plays. Todman has rushed for 826 yards and 12 TDs this season while Dixon has gone for 730 yards and 7 TDs. Even though Notre Dame’s weakness is their secondary, do not expect Randy Edsall to put much pressure on Frazer to carry the offense. Edsall is a coach who will let his playmakers handle the ball and let the offense revolve around them.
At the wide receiver position, there is no real stand out player, but the Huskies do have “True Football Players”. These are the type of guys that may not be at the talent level of a Golden Tate or Michael Floyd, but they do play within themselves and make themselves available on every play. Notre Dame has had trouble defending these types of players all season, perfect example being Rich Gunnell from BC. Marcus Easley leads the team in receptions with 26 for 559 yards and 5 TDs. Easley is more of a downfield threat averaging over 21 yards per catch. Brad Kanuch has hauled in 24 catches on the year for 295 yards and 1 TD. Kanuch is built more like a “Wes Welker” type of receiver who will run the underneath routes for short yardage. He will be key on third and short conversions. Up front, the Huskies provide a big offensive line for Frazer. Anchoring this offensive line will be Moe Petrus at center. Just a sophomore, Petrus played very well as a freshman and continues to show his aggressive side on the field. He is a tough kid, who may lack the proper technique at times, but makes up for it with his intensity and heart.
Players to Watch
Readers already known about Todman and Dixon, so I will go with a wildcard here in fullback Anthony Sherman. He will be asked to pick up blitzing linebackers and safeties the whole game and will also see some passes thrown his way out of the backfield.
The Huskies Defense
Besides the running game, UConn’s run defense is very stout up front. Along the defensive line, Lindsey Witten is the main disturbing force for the Huskies. A speed rushing defensive end, Witten has 10.5 sacks on the year and after seeing how Pitt’s defensive ends abused the Irish tackles last week, Witten will be ready to have a big day in the backfield. Linebackers Greg Lloyd and Lawrence Wilson have combined for 177 tackles this year. The fact that the linebackers are making the majority of the stops is a big positive for the Huskies defense. When you compare that to the Irish defense, you see that Kyle McCarthy, a safety leads the Irish in tackles. This shows that while Notre Dame allows ball carriers to get to the third level, UConn’s defense is very well versed at stopping the opposition at the second level.
The weakness of this UConn defense is the secondary. UConn’s secondary plays similarly to that of the Irish secondary due to the fact that they give up too many big plays. The Huskies have lost their last 3 games by a total of nine points. In those games, big plays were their downfall. Against Cincinnati, the UConn offense exploded for 45 points, but unfortunately gave up 47 to the Bearcats. The Huskies have the ability to hang with any team if they can limit their mistakes and keep everything in front of them. In the secondary, Robert Vaughn, the starting free safety has 43 tackles and 4 INTs on the year, while cornerback Robert McClain comes in with 42 tackles and 4 INTs. This season has been dedicated to Jasper Howard who was tragically murdered on the UConn campus this year. Howard was a starting cornerback on the team, a consummate professional and a genuinely good guy. Living in Connecticut, Howard’s death really hit home and this UConn team will be ready to go come Saturday at 2:30 PM.
Players to Watch
I am going to go out on a limb here and say punter Desi Cullen will have a major impact in this game. Whether it is a fake punt of some kind or coffin kicking the Irish deep in their own zone, the Ray Guy Semifinalist has had a very productive season and puts the pressure on opposing offenses almost instantaneously.
What to Watch For
- The Two Headed Monster – Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon will have ample opportunity to showcase their talent against an Irish run defense that has looked good at times, but has also looked horrific at other times.
- Smashmouth – Armando Allen has looked good after coming back from his ankle injury but Weis needs to feed him the ball more. If the Irish can get out to an early lead, expect Allen to have moderate success in this game.
- Revenge – Zach Frazer has said that his transfer from Notre Dame has been for the best and both sides were amicable during the split. That being said, there is no better feeling than coming into your former teams house and ruining their Senior Day.
- Leadership – These Irish seniors have seen the good and bad of Charlie Weis. Many of these seniors will never play football again and will do everything in their power to come away with a victory this Saturday. Expect players like Sam Young and Toryan Smith to come out and play with a passion and fire not seen by Irish fans this year.
Prediction
In my season preview, I predicted a 45-13 victory for the Irish. As I have become accustomed to over the past few weeks, I am going to change my prediction. I will always have a warm place in my heart for the Huskies since they are the team that represents where I come from, but my allegiance will always be to the Fighting Irish in South Bend. I cannot see these seniors going down in this game. While it will be close for a while, I believe the Irish finally get to the QB in this game and force Frazer to make some mental and physical mistakes. Interceptions could play a big role in this game as well as UConn’s ability to stop both Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. The Irish get a much needed win and send off the seniors with a taste of victory in their final game at Notre Dame Stadium. Irish over the Huskies 35-24.
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